Siblings
by emotionless-robot
Summary: A spin-off from "Brothers". Up now - Sesame Seeds: That single promise, made by his mother, had sent him careening to the store to fetch what she required for her latest batch of culinary disaster.
1. And So It Begins

This collection of drabbles is a spin-off from my _other_ collection of drabbles, **Brothers**. Since we all know some of the sibling relationships in Digimon are not brotherly, it was only right that I put these drabbles in a separate category. Hence, we start off with Tai and Kari. I'll probably get into Davis and Jun soon, then maybe Yolei and her siblings.... but until then, here you have it.

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"What is that?" Tai asked increduously, eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "And why won't it stop crying?"

His mother chuckled, reaching out a gentle hand to smooth back her son's unruly hair-do.

"This is your sister, Tai. Her name is Kari."

She tried to usher him forward, so he could get a better look at the new addition to their family, but Tai stepped back warily.

"... why is she here?"

Tai's mom was about to answer her young son's alarmed query, but Tai's grandparents came bustling over from the kitchen, intent on cooing over baby Kari and smothering her with kisses. They were ready to head out the door--but promised to come visit soon--and Tai frowned even more, still entirely confused about the whole situation.

"Aren't you taking her with you?" his small, boyish voice called out to his grandparents.

His mom waved them off; she would deal with it. They left, leaving behind a growingly frustrated little boy, a sleeping, drooling baby, and an amused mother.

"Tai, sweetie, Kari isn't leaving. She's going to be living with us now."

"But why?" Tai persisted, "Can't she live somewhere else?"

He watched his mother shake her head, small laughs erupting from her chest. "You'll learn to love her soon enough, don't worry," she soothed. Her keen eye caught the look of half disgust, half astonishment Tai expressed at her statement. Smiling, she glanced between her eldest and her youngest, noting that this was undoubtedly the start of a beautiful relationship.

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The update for **Brothers** should be done by the end of the week (probably).

Reviews are appreciated - thanks!


	2. Breakfast in Bed

It's a bit late, since Mother's Day has already passed, but at least it's still May, right? XD

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Tai shushed Kari, balancing precariously in his arms the tray of food they'd prepared on this special day. Kari scowled at her brother, sucking loudly on her soother despite his disapproval. Giving her another warning with his irate eyes, the older boy sidled open the door to his mother's bedroom with his back, Kari slipping past him to go wake up their mother.

She used her pudgy fingers to poke her mother's face--not exactly in the gentlest manner--but it got the job done. Their mother's eyes fluttered open, spotting her two kids; one with her face right in front of her own, the other with a wobbling, teetering tray loaded with breakfast foods. She smiled warmly, recognizing the effort they'd gone to in order to make her breakfast in bed.

"Happy Mother's Day," Tai said happily, laying the tray down gently on her nightstand, then crawling up on her bed like his little sister had done. His mother wrapped her arms around the two of them, touched by their thoughtfulness.

"Thank you, sweetie. And you too, Kari. This looks absolutely delicious!"

She grabbed a piece of toast, noting that there was more jam on the sides of the bread than on the top. She took a big bite, wanting to show her kids just how much their gesture was appreciated. As she ate though, she couldn't help but notice Tai's growing look of hunger and Kari rubbing her belly--something she only did when she was hungry.

"... did you guys want to share with me?"

Her children nodded their agreement eagerly, already reaching for some fruit to feed their rumbling bellies. She watched them, trying to memorize the visual of the three of them, together, eating breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. The comfort it brought her came back once a year, every year on the same day, but she never got tired of having Tai and Kari scrounge up breakfast for the three of them and sharing a meal with her kids.

It was the most perfect Mother's Day gift she could ever hope for.

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Reviews are appreciated. Thanks!


	3. Soccer Secrets

Another day, another chapter. Enjoy.

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"No, no, no, no, no. Five hundred times NO, Kari. You don't kick the soccer ball that way."

She whistled at him obtusely, holding his precious soccer ball against her chest in a protective manner, as if it were one of her stuffed animals or something. Tai was sick of this; when was she going to learn that _hands weren't allowed in soccer?_

"Let me show you again."

He knelt down, stealing the ball from her chubby arms (earning himself another sharp whistle blast that nearly made his ears split open) and dropping it on the floor in front of his eager feet.

"Now watch, Kari, okay? I'm not going to show you again."

Standing back up now, Tai visualized the net in front of him and soft, cool grass beneath his toes, and a roaring, wild crowd cheering him on. _Breathe in..._

AND GO!

Tai kicked the ball, dashing forward to keep up with it, picturing a defenseman on his left who was trying to intercept him. He nudged the soccer ball away from the opposing team's player and now he was running down the field, wind in his hair and ball right in front of him. The goalie was crouched, ready for his shot but Tai knew better than that. He passed the ball to one of his teammates—_oh no wait they passed it back_—and SCOOOOOOOOOOORE!

Tai whooped loudly, cheering and clapping to himself as he envisioned his game-winning goal. The soccer ball bounced around the room after his powerful kick, knocking over picture frames and glasses of juice alike. The mess he made was ignored by both children, though, as Tai soon came to realise.

Kari was asleep.

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Does he ever get a break around here?

Reviews are appreciated. Thanks!


	4. Saved

Sorry this one's a bit late... I have the next one planned out though, so it should be done by the end of the week.

Disclaimer on profile.

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The shrill cry of Kari's whistle pierced the afternoon air with an unmistakable urgency that nearly made Tai wet his pants. He fumbled, trying to pass the soccer ball off to one of his teammates so that he could go see what was troubling his sister. The ball rolled across the freshly-cut grass, ten feet away from Tai's intended target, but he didn't give himself time to care about inconsequential things such as that. He shouldered his way through dozens of questioning peers, asking him why he was leaving—his team was winning the game; he couldn't leave now. It seemed as though none of them had heard the whistle's distressed cry, but Tai knew he hadn't imagined it. Kari was in trouble, and if helping her meant losing the game and putting up with people who didn't understand his priorities, then so be it.

He raced past the baseball diamond, or more accurately, _through_ the baseball diamond, interrupting the game going on without a second glance. That particular shortcut, however, proved fruitless once Tai encountered the newly-erected fence standing between him and Kari. Could he climb it? It was pretty tall... but it was now or never, he concluded, latching on to the side of the fence and hauling himself up. His arms strained from the exertion, but adrenaline pushed him on, making Tai feel stronger than ever.

He swung his legs over the top of the fence and barely had time to think before he came crashing down on the other side, tumbling through the bushes and knocking the breath from his lungs. He laid there, dazed and disoriented, wondering to himself why he hadn't just climbed down like any sane person would have done, instead of leaping over like an incredibly foolish superhero lacking superpowers.

The answer came to him in the form of another desperate whistle, closer and louder than before. Tai's eyes snapped open, then he rolled over, sprang to his feet, and sprinted as if an army of Sora's were chasing after him.

The playground was usually filled with little pre-school kids and their parents around this time of day, making it a popular, safe place for older brothers to leave their younger sisters for a while. It appeared to be deserted now, save for a group of lanky, menacing-looking boys a few years older than Tai. A cold feeling of dread washed throughout Tai as he came to realize who was in the centre of the group of boys.

Kari, with her face blotchy and a silver whistle dangling from her mouth, covered in tears and spit. An anger-inducing sight, at least on Tai's part. He marched over to his sister, wheezing still from the fall he'd taken earlier. As he came closer, Kari noticed him and Tai could visibly see her shoulders relax and her whistle dropped from her mouth's hold; she was safe now, there was no need to worry.

Tai could only hope he'd live up to her expectations.

The bullies took note of him approaching, and snickered to themselves.

"Hey, look at that dweeb," the tallest one called out. "Think he's gonna try and save this cry baby?"

Their chuckles ignited the fury within Tai. No one called his sister a cry baby. (And he did not appreciated the dweeb comment, either.)

His back straightened, and he marched proudly towards his sister—twigs in his hair, scrapes and bruises covering his legs—intenton showing these bullies just who was the weak one around here.

"Hey!" he called out, "Let go of my sister!"

The scuffle that proceeded Tai's declaration lasted mere moments. His agility earned him a few hits, but in the end he was pinned to the ground, feeling rather helpless against his sister's tormentors. Kari was blowing her whistle again, warning him against the danger he faced. Tai tried to discreetly give her a thumbs up, but his arm was underneath someone's leg, and he could barely feel his fingers. He hoped she understood that he was doing this for her, and now that he had the dimwits distracted, she should be running back home on those short, chubby legs of hers.

One of them got right up in his face, blowing hot dog and onion breath right up his nose. Tai's nose crinkled in mild disgust and he mentally said, _"Ewwwwww_." Too bad the older boy didn't have telepathic powers though, as he opened his foul-smelling mouth to say, "Don't you dare come near this place again, got it little boy? Otherwise we're gonna make you cry, just like we made your sister cry."

"Uh, okay." Tai agreed, nodding his head. The bully paused, not used to having his victims agree with him right away.

"... Can you let go of me now?"

Tai was released, and he rubbed his hands to try and get some blood flow back into them. Looking for Kari, he noticed her crawling rapidfly _towards_ her brother, as opposed to away, like she was supposed to. It was settled, then. Tai had to do something about this quick, or else Kari would get involved once more.

"Hey!" he yelled, waving his arms about to get their undivided attention. "Before I leave here and never come back, you should know that one day I'll make you pay for what you did to my sister. Remember that, dog-breath!"

And with that parting remark, Tai swung past the boys, snatched up Kari just as she was about to hit one of them with a stick, and then ran as fast as he could while carrying a small child in his arms. He didn't stop until they were back home, safely locked away from the outside world. The soccer match was forgotten, and all that mattered now was making sure Kari was okay. She had no bruises or cuts, but her face was still tear-stained and blotchy. Tai wet a cloth with warm water and wiped her face gently, erasing the evidence of the incident. As he stood back up to put the cloth away, Kari's arms reached out and held him there. Her soft breath was right in his ear and she smelled like sunshine from being outside all day long. Tai reciprocated the gesture, smiling widely and wondering whether Kari would react like this every time he saved her... if so, he was definitely going to have to brush up on his fighting skills.

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Reviews are appreciated. Thanks!


	5. A Fated Meeting

Aaaaand, we have the next chapter.

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Glowing with excitement, the young boy worked his way through the dense crowd to his seat. This wasn't just any ordinary seat on the bleachers, though. This spot was especially reserved for him, and it was front-row, meaning he'd have the best view of the entire field.

He took his place, never once faltering in his unnaturally springy gait. There hadn't been a happier moment in his life up until this point. No Christmas, birthday, or trip to the candy store could ever outshine this one event: the championship soccer game featuring not only his all-time favourite team, but his favourite player as well. _And he had a front-row seat!_

The bleachers began filling up behind him and the mindless chatter grew louder and louder as the time drew nearer to seven o'clock. He'd been waiting weeks for this; surely he could last fifteen minutes longer?

Just as someone came to sit down beside him, the two teams were flitting about the soccer field, warming up for the game. He was barely aware of the other person's presence until he saw his idolized, most-revered player wave at her, and she _waved back_.

"You know that guy?" he asked incredulously.

She turned to face him, smiling gently and replying, "Sure I do. He is my brother, after all."

His jaw dropped in complete astonishment. He never would have guessed... although, now that he knew, the similarities between the two were startlingly obvious. Same hair colour and facial structure... the real mind-blowing thing, though, was that he was actually sitting here talking to the adorably cute younger sister of his childhood idol.

She giggled at his expression, stuck her hand out and introduced herself, "My name's Kari."

He grasped her hand, saying politely, "I'm Davis."

There was no way he'd ever forget this moment. It was the equivalent of touching a celebrity in his eyes. Davis knew he'd forever be telling the story of how he met Tai Kamiya's younger sister to his children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews and anyone else that cared to listen. Jun was definitely getting an earful when he got home.

A contented grin wormed its way onto his face and stuck there as if sewed on. It stayed all throughout the game, growing to even larger proportions whenever Tai's team scored.

By the time the game ended, it was getting late, but Davis could not feel the pull of exhaustion at all. He was positively beyond the point of elation. Cloud Nine was right there; surrounding him as he basked in the stunning victory of his preferred team. And now Tai was jogging over to see Kari, which meant he was going to be standing _right next to Davis._

His ears buzzed with joy and his excitement nearly made him hyperventilate. He watched in silent rapture as the siblings exchanged pleasantries.

Reality only surfaced once he heard the inevitable, "Who's this?"

Kari off-handedly introduced Davis, not knowing that his most far-fetched dream was actually coming true at that very moment. He was about to meet Tai Kamiya himself. Davis knew he looked like a lunatic with his eyes wide, breathing heavily and not-so-subtly leaning forward to be physically closer to Tai.

But he didn't care. Tai Kamiya was shaking his hand while simultaneously flicking the hair from his eyes. '_If only I had such coordination as him,'_ Davis contemplated (while mentally vowing to never wash his hand again).

"So," Tai began, intending to break the awkward tension that had built, "have you been hitting on my sister, Davis?"

Kari exclaimed, "Tai!" and hit her brother's shoulder for emphasis.

"What?" the older boy countered. "It's just a question."

Davis chuckled and assured Tai, "No, I haven't been hitting on your sister."

"And why the hell not?" Tai thundered angrily. Davis cringed, wondering how his dream had turned so ugly so soon. "Don't you think she's pretty?"

"Well, I think she's cute," Davis sputtered out.

"But not cute enough to date? Are you _that_ kind of boy, Davis? Do you like to play with people's feelings?"

"No," the younger boy whimpered.

Tai laughed suddenly and slapped Davis on the back.

"I'm only joking around." Tai explained. "No need to panic."

Kari rolled her eyes at her brother's lack of maturity before bidding Davis a good night and yanking on Tai's arm to get him home before he had the chance to embarrass her further.

"Night, Davis!" Tai yelled back at him. "Sleep tight!"

A maniacal chuckled floated ominously in the evening air, making the hairs all over Davis's body stiffen in apprehension. As amazing as Tai was, he was also slightly insane... Davis realised, though, that Kari seemed to be able to control Tai's madness, which meant that if he wanted to get closer to Tai without unleashing the crazy within, he'd have to get closer to Kari first...

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Reviews are appreciated. Thanks!


	6. Museum

This one's short and pointless... hope you like it :D

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"It's not a toy, Tai. Stop pressing the button and let's move on."

Kari stood with her hands on her hips, resembling their mother to a certain degree. Tai looked up from the animated diagram of their country's climate, frowning and pouting like a child.

"But I like this one." he whined, following his sister despite wanting to stay put. "It has flashing lights and a mysterious voice—_that seriously comes out of nowhere, I tell you_—and that explains to me what's happening in the diagram."

Kari huffed and led her brother to the dinosaur exhibit where he was immediately attracted to the various displays of fossils. All she'd wanted was a nice, relaxing day at the museum, browsing the exhibits and learning in a calm, peaceful manner. Instead, she felt like she was stuck dragging a screaming three-year-old around.

Somehow they made it to the end, finishing up their tour and stepping outside into the bright glare of the sun.

Tai stretched and yawned, blinked languidly as he said, "Now can we go to the video arcade?"

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Reviews are appreciated. Thanks!


	7. Gone Fishing

This is my entry for the Summer Gift-fic exchange at the Digi-Challenge Forum. This one goes out to BenignUser, who I hope likes what I've written! His request just so happened to fit in nicely with the theme of _**Siblings**_, so I figured I'd post it here.

**Likes:** I like parodies, satire, friendship fics, drama, and various cutesy-stuff. I'm also a big sucker for Tai/Kari sibling fics.  
**Dislikes:** AU's, cookie-cutter/same-sex romance, the digimon taken out of digimon, culture-swaps (ie. American culture being a big part of a story set in Japan).  
**Preferred Protagonists:** Taichi, Hikari, Jyou, Koushiro, Mimi, Daisuke, Miyako (not necessarily in that order).  
**Plot Points:** surprise me!  
**Fanfic clichés you cant stand:** the "I can't live unless I'm dating X" persona, the "I'm no longer friends with X cause X is dating Y" persona, and of course the "I'm an incompetent doofus and I can't do anything right yet none of my character faults will be addressed in this fic cause that's just how everyone thinks I should be" persona.  
**That was four dislikes and three "can't stand" things. Hope that doesn't mean I'm now the "too precise" guy. lol**

Disclaimer on profile.

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"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you two were toddlers again."

Tai gave his father an exasperated look before resuming his position gazing out the window of the speeding vehicle and pouting. Kari pretended not to hear her father's comment at all, and continued reading her magazine without acknowledging his statement.

"Come on, guys. Stop sulking and cheer up! You're going to be spending all afternoon with each other anyways."

Kari would've groaned audibly, but that would have meant that she'd be admitting to listening in the first place. There was no way she was getting out of the van—none whatsoever. She was going to pretend that her father wasn't dragging her out into the middle of nowhere, sticking her in a boat with the most obtuse person in the world, and leaving them all alone for the afternoon to go fishing.

She hadn't been inclined to go fishing since she was _five_, thank you very much.

Just as Kari finished idly flipping through the commercialized pages of her magazine, their father pulled over onto the side of the road, whistling jovially, and then proceeded to grab their fishing gear, boat, etc. All this hassle could have been avoided, though, if Tai hadn't been such a jerk and actually listened to her for once instead of coming to his own conclusions and lecturing her on stuff he didn't even understand. Her weekend could have been spent laying out on the beach with Yolei or taking a walk in the park with Gatomon. Instead she was stuck with her stupid brother who had noodles for brains.

Hopping out of the car and tugging on her lifejacket, Kari wondered what exactly her father expected this trip to accomplish. Already she and Tai weren't speaking to each other and sending each other nasty looks every chance they got… Any attempt at peace-making was sure to fail right now. He should have waited another week or so before forcing them into bonding time.

Only a few minutes later and their father was roaring away down the road (probably laughing his head off), leaving Tai and Kari alone and fuming.

She brushed past him, sliding into the rocking boat, not even trying to be helpful as Tai pushed off from the shore. Paddling methodically, they worked in disharmony, eventually ending up a ways out from the beach, surrounded by nothing by water and their animosity for each other.

They set up their fishing rods separately, on either side of the boat. Kari wasn't expecting any bites, nor did she want any—a nice, long nap out in the midday sun was surely enough for her. Resting the rod against the side of the boat, Kari pulled her hat over her eyes and let her mind wander wherever it fancied.

On the other hand, Tai was too incensed to even consider taking a nap. He couldn't believe she was acting this way! He'd done nothing wrong but to express his opinion—which she should have asked for in the first place—and provide an objective view on the situation. Perhaps Kari hadn't viewed it that way, but there was no need for her to sulk like a child about it. Her shoulders were hunched, her arms were crossed, and there was a permanent look of distaste on her face.

It was his entire fault, naturally.

The silence gathered around them as time passed miserably. The biting chill of the wind contrasted greatly with the scorching heat of the sun and Tai began to wonder if that was how menopausal women felt all the time. (And he solemnly vowed to never insult his grandmother again when she complained about it.) Tai rested his chin in his hand, getting bored with being wrapped up in his thoughts. A man of action was never supposed to be still; why couldn't their father have let them go for a hike instead of sitting idly in a boat all day long? The fish weren't even biting—heck, Tai would bet every bit of money he owned that there weren't even fish in these waters.

Sneaking a glance back at his sister, he frowned when he saw that she was fast asleep, snoring lightly (though she'd never admit it). Even if it was a mean thing to do and would surely earn him a smack on the head, Tai couldn't resist poking her awake and watching as she blearily glared at him in rage.

"What the hell is your problem?" she spat, throwing her hat at him for emphasis. "You've been nothing but a jerk to me for the past week and I've done _nothing wrong!_"

Tai's grin faded swiftly and he retaliated, "_'Nothing wrong'_? _You_ have been ignoring me completely. I was just trying to get your attention, Kari. No need to be moody about it."

"Well, you've got my attention now, Tai. What do you have to say that's so important?"

"First of all, I don't like your tone. Second, you really shouldn't be dating until you're at _least_ thirty."

Kari yanked on her hair and growled in frustration, "_No, no, no, a hundred times NO!_ I told you before—I can make my _own_ decisions. Haven't you noticed that you're the only one who disapproves? Can't you see that you're being unreasonable? Tai, I haven't done _anything wrong_. I went on a date with TK, and you went crazy about it for no reason."

"I have every right to disapprove," he countered. "You're my sister and it's practically my job to keep you away from boys for as long as I can. Don't tell me to stop worrying about you, 'cause I won't." He huffed, crossed his arms and stared defiantly at his sister.

"I'm not asking," Kari said slowly, "for you to stop worrying about me. I'm asking you to do it in a way that doesn't involve ruining my life. And I don't understand why you have a problem with TK. You've known him forever."

"I just…" he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in dismay, "I don't want to see you get hurt. You're my sister and I love you, but that also means that I have to be the bad guy sometimes and make sure you know what you're getting into before you do it."

"I know what I'm getting into, Tai."

"Do you? You're going to start spending your weekends with him, and your room will be filled with cute, stuffed animals that he gives you. You'll invite him over for dinner and sometimes he'll have you over at his house. The two of you are going to fight over silly things and make each other mad and you might not get over those fights. You're probably going to break up soon and when you do, Kari, you'll be heartbroken and honestly, I'm not looking forward to seeing you cry your eyes over some guy that doesn't deserve to be cried over. And if you _don't_ break up, eventually you two will… do _other_ things that I don't even want to get into right now. You might end up marrying him and spending the rest of your life by his side…"

Kari looked at him with incredulity, eyebrows lifted far up into her hairline.

"You do realise that it was just one date, right?"

Grumbling, Tai nodded in agreement, but still believed in the words he told her. He wasn't about to let TK steal her away from him without a fight. Tai did not want to see his sister struggle with splitting her time between family, friends and boyfriend. Things had been much simpler when _he_ was the only boy she didn't find icky.

An abrupt, sharp tug on Kari's fishing rod brought Tai out of his thoughts as his sister shrieked piercingly and began reeling in her catch. Tai helped her out as best he could, but the boat was rocking heavily and there wasn't enough room to move around very much. The rod was bent nearly in half by the time Kari hauled the fish up onto the boat, still flopping and jerking around. Throwing it into the bucket of water, Tai sat back just in time for his own rod to go berserk as a fish latched onto the hook.

Kari's laughter drowned out his swearing as he grappled with the fish, getting pulled forward hard enough to hang over the edge of the boat. She grabbed his feet and yanked him back to safety while he reeled in the biggest fish he'd ever caught.

By the time they had a real chance to relax again, both Tai and Kari were soaking wet and completely dishevelled. Tai's hair was messier than ever and Kari's bangs were plastered back against her head in an unflattering manner. Their fish swam together in the bucket, and the siblings watched peacefully as their catch nipped at each other's tails.

When they finally got home, their mother was surprised they'd caught anything and immediately began frying the fish for the meal she was making. Tai and Kari agreed with her disbelief; this morning it hadn't looked too promising, but as it turned out, they caught a lot more than they expected.

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Reviews are appreciated... thanks!


	8. Dreams

Due to school starting up again, updates will probably be further apart than usual.

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The first thing Tai felt was Kari's cold, clammy fingers tugging on his nose as she tried to wake him up. Then the soft vibrations coming from her whistle—the ones he had somehow missed before—jolted his brain and made his eyelids twitch in irritation.

He took a deep breath, cracking open his eyes and seeing a distorted close-up of Kari's face right beside his. The distortion, he realised, came from the fur of her worn teddy bear, blocking his view partially.

"Kari," he croaked softly, "what's the matter?"

She didn't say anything, but instead snuggled up beside him, teddy bear between them like a fluffy barrier. Her tiny fingers tickled his chin and her warm body made him feel even sleepier.

Tai's mind began to drift off once more, but he managed to catch Kari's gentle admission of, "Bad dreams…" before sleep overtook him completely.

In his own dreams later that night, he was a valiant knight who rescued the damsel in distress from evil and told her over and over again, _"It's alright now, you're safe..."_

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	9. Snow

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"But mom…" Tai whined, collapsing onto one of the couches with a dramatic flair. "I don't wanna go to the store!"

She ignored his plea and handed him some money, listing off what she required him to purchase.

"Make sure you remember the eggs, alright? Oh, and pick me up some apples for my new recipe." She glanced at her son, who was still slumped on the couch. "Hurry up, Tai. The store won't be open all day. And bring your sister with you—she's been bored for hours."

Tai trudged to the door in reluctance, pretending he was a brain-dead zombie as Kari whizzed past him, whistle blowing in excitement. She raced to put on her coat and shoes, ending up with the buttons done up wrong and her shoes on the opposite feet. Tai sighed and bent down to help her, mumbling about the unfairness of life as he did so.

"Alright," Tai announced, tying his own shoelaces, "here's how it's gonna go, Kari: we'll race to the store, grab all the stuff we need, and then race back. Sound good?"

Kari nodded enthusiastically, her toddler body buzzing joyously. Tai opened the door, grabbed her hand, and they were off.

Outside, it was chilly and their breath puffed in white clouds that vanished within seconds of being created. Tai tugged on his sister's hand, trying to drag her along faster. All he wanted was to get home as soon as possible. He noticed absent-mindedly that there weren't very many people out today, probably because of the weather. Tai was so focused on getting to the store quickly that he was barely aware of Kari tugging on _his_ hand as well.

"No time to stop, Kari. We're racing, remember?"

She stopped running completely, forcing Tai to slow down as well. He sighed, exasperated by his sister's inability to keep up with him. He knew her legs were short, but he wanted to get home _quickly_.

"What is it?" Tai asked, exuding patience as he reigned in his temper. "Is something wrong, Kari?"

Kari shook her head slowly, but pointed up at the sky with her tiny gloved finger. Tai glanced up, not seeing anything important, but Kari continued gesturing and Tai was forced to take a closer look.

Tiny, miniscule snowflakes were shimmering and swaying in the wind as they fell softly to the ground. Kari caught one on her glove and held it close to her face, examining it thoroughly and with a sense of childish curiosity. Tai watched in absolute wonder as the snow began to cover the sidewalk and the streets. Winter had never been his favourite season, simply because there was no soccer, but he'd always been entranced by snow whenever it came around.

He tugged on Kari's hand once more and said gently, "Let's race to the store, pick up the groceries and race back home… and then have a snowball fight!"

Kari's whistle of agreement couldn't have been louder.

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	10. School

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"Make sure you tell the teacher that I'm coming to pick you up after school is over, okay?"

Kari huffed, overwhelmed by Tai's endless chatter. He obviously felt the need to inform her of how her first day of school was going to play out, even if she wasn't worried in the least.

"I know, Tai. You told me before."

"And if you need to leave, for whatever reason, just tell the teacher and come get me. You remember which classroom I'm in this year?"

"Yes, Tai."

"Okay… good. I just don't want you to get lost or something."

Kari shot him a look and reminded him with a frown, "I'm not you, and that means that I won't accidentally end up locked in the janitor's closet on the first day of school."

Tai rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, embarrassed by that particular memory involving a hysterical mother, an amused janitor, and sitting on a dingy mop for two hours.

"Okay, okay. But this is a big deal, Kari. From now on, you're basically stuck in school. You can't do whatever you want all day anymore."

"I know, Tai."

"And if you don't make a good first impression, you won't ever have friends and you'll be alone for _life_."

"I know, Tai."

"That's why I'm telling you all of this—so that you'll be prepared for all the whiny, annoying kids you'll have to deal with every day until you graduate."

"I know, Tai."

"Don't use that tone with me, Kari. I just want you to succeed in school, that's all. You should take advantage of my expertise and listen to my brotherly advice."

"… okay, Tai. Goodbye now."

And with that, Kari marched towards her first day of school, backpack swinging and whistle bouncing gently against her chest. Tai paused for a moment, realising fully that his little sister was headed off into the world, and he couldn't be there with her every step of the way anymore...

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	11. Gingerbread Cookies

**I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and is enjoying the new year!  
(Sorry this is so late DX)**

**Disclaimer on profile.**

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"Help your sister, Tai. Don't be so grouchy." his mom admonished, shooing him over to the kitchen, where Kari awaited his arrival eagerly. The whistle was practically deafening to his ears.

He really didn't deserve this. What kind of seven year old gets stuck inside making _gingerbread cookies_ with his younger sister when he could be _outside_, kicking snow piles or something? Life just wasn't fair.

Tai clambered up on to the chair beside Kari, trying in vain to avoid getting hit by her bobbing head as she jack-hammered up and down on the chair from excitement. Tai couldn't see what the big deal was—the icing was sticky and usually tasted like plastic, the sprinkles practically _were_ plastic, and the gingerbread men were always too hard to bite (at least not without breaking some teeth).

But he was undoubtedly stuck in this kitchen, spreading globs of icing onto rock-hard cookies to please his sister. If there were an award for greatest big brother of all time, Tai would win it _hands down_.

"You're the best brother _ever_, Tai!" Kari beamed at him, sprinkles in her hair and icing on her chin.

Tai scoffed (he already knew that, duh!) and swiped the icing off her face before licking it and deciding that perhaps making gingerbread men wasn't the worst punishment ever.

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	12. Sesame Seeds

**Sorry for the wait. Enjoy.**

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His feet pounded heavily on the cracked pavement, never pausing as he vaulted obstacles and ran as though his life depended on it. The truth was, it kind of did. If he arrived back at the house on time, then he would be rewarded extravagantly with something his young body craved on a daily basis - sugar.

That single promise, made by his mother, had sent him careening to the store to fetch what she required for her latest batch of culinary disaster. If he managed to get all the ingredients, and be back before six, she had promised to give him a piece of real, sugary, store-bought cake.

Tai had never been so motivated in his life.

Without further delay, he had raced to the store, grabbed what he needed, then booked it out of there as fast as possible, not daring to consider the disappointment awaiting him should he fail at his task.

Barging through the door, Tai flung off his shoes and skidded into the kitchen, where his mother and sister waited, both wearing identical expressions on their face that said, '_Did you get what we needed?_'

He thrust the bag onto the counter and watched in anticipation as his mother carefully removed each item, examining them for quality and mentally checking them off of her list. Tai, meanwhile, couldn't help but glance at the pristine cake sitting beside the bag of groceries... how delicious it appeared to be. He could almost taste the sweet, sweet icing and the soft, moist texture of the cake. It was mouthwatering.

Tai's mother gave him a long, hard look and slowly announced, "Everything seems to be there. Good work, Tai."

He rejoiced internally, finally being allowed a decent piece of something made with real sugar. No more funny carrot cakes that tasted like shrimp or cupcakes made with bits of asparagus. _Finally_.

"Wait," Kari spoke with a frown, "where are the sesame seeds?"

_Despair._

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